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I was speaking to a client recently who was having a hard time in her life: her job wasn’t working out the way she had hoped and, being a
single woman, she longed for a loving relationship.
She had applied Feng Shui to her home but didn’t give any of her actions a chance to work, applying more and more cures she had read
about. She just didn’t know when to stop.
She’d ended up in a confusing environment with a confusing life. My advice to her was to just stop. Stop doing and just be for a while.
We live in a world where everything has to happen instantly, where we collect lots of stuff and where we have to keep on doing things. We fill our lives up with clutter and we fill our minds up with clutter.
It’s often thought that Feng Shui is just about your environment and, on one level, it is. However, Feng Shui is based on a philosophy known as The Tao or The Way and a deeper level of Feng Shui advocates living our lives according to The Tao in order to bring happiness and fulfilment.
One aspect of this philosophy is simplicity.
Clearing clutter in your home or business is one way to bring simplicity into your life and allow energy to flow again. Simplicity in your thoughts will have the same effect:
- Less ‘stuff’ in expended on the ‘what if’ thoughts
- More space for clear thinking
- Less scattered energy in having to do this, that and anything or everything
- More focus on what you really want
- Less frustration that you haven’t got what you perceive other people to have
- More contentment and satisfaction with the things that are good in your life.
How do you Feng Shui your mind? The same way you Feng Shui your environment:
- By noticing what is going on at the moment
- By knowing what you want or what you want to improve
- By noticing how your mind and thoughts need to change
- By taking one small step at a time and giving the action chance to work
- By being for a while instead of doing.
Jackie Notman is an intuitive adviser and coach who works on an energetic level using tools such as Feng Shui, Numerology, Dowsing,
Astrology and the Tarot. This article is from her blog ‘Life – and everything else’ where you’ll find an eclectic mix of articles and information.
This Feng Shui information is general for everybody. However, there are deeper levels of Feng Shui which take into account you and your specific business or home environment.
If you would like to find out more about living in harmony with your environment, and using energy to your advantage, contact Jackie Notman on 07920 461574 or through her website www.fs168.co.uk
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Social scientists Diederik Stapel and Siegwart Lindenberg of Tilburg university in Holland have reported on a study that suggests people are more likely to discriminate and be less charitable if living in an environment that is unkempt, dirty, litter strewn or marked with graffiti.
The full paper, reported in Science Magazine, can be found here.
In Feng Shui the effects of clutter are clear and it is a key thing that areas should be clutter free (as opposed to zen-like empty). Just search this blog for ‘clutter’ and you’ll see the many reasons why clutter and good Feng Shui don’t exist together.
This report adds further credence to the benefits of a clutter free environment. Not only can clutter (in the form of litter and grafittie) affect our own energies and our lives but it can also affect the way we treat other people which in turn has a detrimental effect on their lives. And so the ever decreasing circle goes on.
Jackie Notman is a copywriter, feng shui consultant and e-commerce retailer. This article is from her blog ‘Life – and everything else’ where you’ll find an eclectic mix of articles and information.
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You have permission to publish this article as long as the tagline (above) with links is included and no changes are made to the article. A courtesy copy of your publication or link would be appreciated.
In Feng Shui the centre of any building or room is considered extremely important. Known as the Tai Chi or ‘Great Void’ it’s a very special place.
However, as Feng Shui deals with balance and harmony, you may wonder why so much emphasis is put on the middle.
To explain this, let’s have a look at the Bagua (or Eight Palaces) that is used in Compass Feng Shui.
Around the centre we have the eight trigrams. These represent different energy personalities. Each has a mix of yin and yang and is associated with many things including elements, colours, family members, body parts and compass directions.
For example, the trigram at the top right of the diagram has three blue broken lines. This is full yin energy and is represented by the earth element, yellows and browns, the mother, stomach and the south west.
It’s opposite, three red unbroken lines in the bottom right of the diagram is full yang energy and is represented by the metal element, silver, greys and white, the father, lungs, skin and the north west.
The other trigrams represent mixtures of yin and yang as you can see from the colours and whether the lines are broken or unbroken.
By placing the Bagua over a floor plan we can see how best to support these energy personalities. If the floor plan is irregular it may be that one or even two of the trigrams are missing and therefore unsupported. Or, if the layout of a house dictates, certain trigrams may be stronger than others and need to be brought into balance.
However, there is one area that is not governed by a trigram and that is the centre or Tai Chi. You’ll probably recognise the familiar symbol in the middle representing yin and yang.
We have three types of chi or energy in this world: yin, which rises from the earth and is soft and diffuse; yang which descends from the heavens and is hard and focussed; human which comes from us.
If we take us out of the equation for now, yin rises up to meet yang descending and, where the two meet, there is a constant dance of changing energies. This ever-changing situation always happens in the Tai Chi area and gives rise to the eight trigrams or energy personalities.
So, if the centre of your house or room is cluttered, dirty, dark or dank, you’re not helping the energies to interact and created the finely balanced states that will bring harmony to your environment and that is why Feng Shui always starts with the middle. It’s a little like a wheel – if the centre isn’t strong enough to support the spokes then your wheel won’t last long and you won’t get very far!
Jackie Notman is a copywriter, feng shui consultant and e-commerce retailer. This article is from her blog ‘Life – and everything else’ where you’ll find an eclectic mix of articles and information.
This Feng Shui information is general for everybody. However, there are deeper levels of Feng Shui which take into account you and your specific business or home environment.
If you would like to find out more about living in harmony with your environment, and using energy to your advantage, contact Jackie Notman on 07920 461574 or through her website www.fs168.co.uk
WANT TO PUBLISH THIS ARTICLE?
You have permission to publish this article as long as the tagline (above) with links is included and no changes are made to the article. A courtesy copy of your publication or link would be appreciated.
Is there something missing in your life? You keep your body fit, you have an active mind and healthy emotions but, does it sometimes feel as if it’s not enough? What else could you need?
Some people would call it our soul or spirit, maybe our inner light. Our search for fulfilment is such big business now that Australia hosts an annual International Conference on Happiness and its Causes.
When there’s something missing in our life there is a space that needs to be filled. We may try to fill that space with food, drink, drugs, work or numerous other activities. And any of those may work – for a while. The last thing we do is contemplate the space and why we feel empty. And yet it’s the only way to really deal with it.
If there is something missing in your life, try focussing on your soul. If we don’t nurture our soul, our light grows dim but, just like your physical body, you can exercise your soul and your light will burn brightly again. However, unlike physical exercise, you do not need your doctor’s approval or expensive equipment and there are no contra-indications.
The greatest exercise is a genuine smile
Too good to be true? Try these seven steps and see the results for yourself. Practise each step for a week at a time before moving on. This will ensure that each exercise becomes a habit and then part of your lifestyle.
Step 1 – Be kind to others
Do you feel connected to everyone else or do you leave the house each day prepared for battle? When was the last time a complete stranger smiled at you? How did you react?
We nearly always get back what we give out. Confrontation sparks confrontation, rudeness fuels rudeness, kindness attracts kindness. When you offer kindness, the effect isn’t always immediate if people are suspicious, but be prepared for this reaction and you’ll soon work through it.
You are aiming to make some connection with other people, understanding the effect you can have on somebody else and learning that it’s as beneficial to give as it is to receive. There is only one rule – don’t expect anything in return, just give unconditionally.
Here are a few ideas:
- Smile at strangers. An American survey (Logitech 2002) found that 90 per cent of respondents thought smiling made the world a better place, 93 per cent of people usually smile back when someone smiles at them and 87 per cent said smiling made people feel good about themselves. Smiling not only brightens up everybody else’s day, it will make you feel better too.
- Give somebody the rest of the time on your parking ticket rather than shoving it into your car ashtray.
- Make eye contact and say good morning to people.
- Tell someone when they look nice or if they have done something well.
- Acknowledge when somebody is being kind to you. Thank them for their help. After all, they are probably doing their soul workout too – just like you.
Who knows what other opportunities will arise to show kindness. Wake up each day determined to look for them.
Step 2 – Be kind to yourself
Most of us would never dream of abusing another person yet we frequently abuse ourselves. Do you place excessive demands on yourself, trying to do too many things in too short a time? Do you allow yourself time to relax without feeling guilty? When you look in the mirror do you like what you see? Would you treat anybody else the way you treat yourself?
This step is about acknowledging that your soul is as worthy as every other. It’s about the respect you have for you. For some of us this may be difficult so take it slowly over a longer period of time. Here are a few suggestions to get you started:
- Look in the mirror and acknowledge what you like. If you can’t find anything, keep looking until you can.
- Every evening, think about what went well in your day and what you achieved.
- When you make appointments or plan your day leave some gaps. Just 10 minutes means the difference between arriving stressed and arriving calm.
- When you need to make choices or decisions, consider your own opinions as well as those of everybody else. This is not the same as being selfish, eg, disregarding other people’s opinions.
- Do something for you. It’s often easier to put your wants and needs at the bottom of the list but just occasionally non-conform and put them at the top. If you find this hard then start slowly, perhaps doing something once a month and then progress to weekly.
- Break up life’s routine. Is each day regimented? Does your life tick away with the same activities on the same days at the same times? If you get up every day and go onto auto-pilot your life will fly by and you’ll wonder where it went and why you didn’t notice. So break up some of the routine: change your make up, take aanother route to work, read a different newspaper and keep working on your soul exercises because a lively soul will reawaken your interest in life.
Step 3 – Find the beauty in everything
In step 2 I suggested you look in the mirror and notice the good things about you. Use it in this step too and find the beauty in you.
There is beauty everywhere but most of the time we are not in the mood to see or are too stressed to notice. If you have to get up early because you’ve a busy day ahead, then notice the sunrise, or hear the birds singing, or feel the peace before the rush hour starts. In a traffic jam, look up and see some of the lines and decorations of the buildings, or notice people’s gardens.
If you’re with somebody else then share the beautiful things you notice and, if they respond negatively, just keep on sharing.
You need to be vigilant when practising this exercise but the more you do it, the easier it becomes. Beautiful things are all around waiting to be found.
Step 4 – De-clutter
Of course, we may miss some of the beauty if it’s hidden behind mess. So, our next step is about making some space, whether that’s in your house, handbag or car. This step is not just about clearing physical space, it’s about letting energy flow smoothly.
Energy, in all its different forms, makes up our world. Certain types of energy are active, wanting to move and flow and nothing stops that energy more than clutter.
Clutter attracts energy and holds it. It makes it thick and sluggish and, if not cleared, this will affect you. Don’t take my word for it. Have a good clear out and see how well you feel.
Step 5 – Dance and Sing
A study in Ohio, USA (Bowling Green State Unversity) showed that 70 per cent of respondents felt music was important to them because it elicited emotions. Further research at Cornell University showed that music can cause changes in our heart rates, our temperature and respiration. The same study showed that happiness was felt when a certain type of music was played.
If you’re not the type to dance and sing then start slowly and just listen to some music (make sure it’s toe tapping stuff). Join in with the chorus, quietly at first and then as loud as you like. Then start moving – that is what your body is designed to do. Let the music fill your soul and your body will respond. Put away anything breakable, the cat may want to go out too, then let rip.
Many cultures use dance and chanting to connect to the spirit world. Once you let your inhibitions go this is an excellent way to connect all aspects of you: switch off your mind, let the music tease out your emotions and express yourself through your body.
Step 6 – Wear bright colours
In summer, when the sun is shining we wear bright colours. On holiday we do the same and our mood is happy and sunny. When the days are short and cold we wear blacks and greys and blend into the day.
Brightly coloured clothes not only affect your mood but also the mood of other people who see you wearing them. Red is the colour of energy, yellow of sunshine, green of nature. There is always a place for black but there is also a place for bold colours, even if it’s just a scarf or a handbag. So be bold and brighten up the world.
Step 7 – Switch off the TV
However, you can only brighten the world if you go out in it. How easy is it to stay in and watch the box? On average we each watch over 4 hours of TV a day. Not only does TV take up an enormous amount of time but studies have shown that we become less happy, less active and more tense after watching it (Rutgers University & University of Chicago, USA).
If there’s a lot of TV in your life then go slowly: be more selective in the programmes you watch and then progress to having one TV-less day a week. Who knows how you’ll spend the time. That’s the exciting bit!
When you have completed this last step, go back to the beginning and start again.
Before you know it you won’t be taking steps at all but living a life that nourishes your soul and may just fill that empty space.
Jackie Notman is a copywriter, feng shui consultant and e-commerce retailer. This article is from her blog ‘Life – and everything else’ where you’ll find an eclectic mix of articles and information.
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In Feng Shui a lot of focus is given to the centre of your home or the centre of a room. It is usually advised that this area is kept well lit, clear and clutter free. Logically this makes perfect sense. Having the centre clear will ensure that moving through the room is easy and hazard free. It also seems to make the space appear bigger. Often the centre may not receive as much light from windows so keeping it illuminated through artificial lighting or clever use of colour and mirrors will brighten the whole area up.
However, the Feng Shui perspective of the centre or Tai Chi as it is known goes much deeper than mere practicalities. It goes to the very characteristics of the energy at play in our home or workspace.
Our world is made up of energy or Chi. It is everything and everywhere. Chi comes from the earth and is typically Yin in nature. Chi also comes from the heavens and is typically Yang in nature. Yin and Yang are opposites: Yin being more feminine and yielding whereas Yang is masculine and hard. When the two meet there is a merging and the resulting energy will not only depend on the proportions of Yin and Yang but also on the fact that the merging is dynamic so will be constantly changing.
The Eight Trigrams each showing different snapshots of types of energy
These different states of change are characterised by the Eight Trigrams which are apportioned to the eight sectors of the compass (both cardinal and inter – cardinal points).
Bagua Later Heaven Sequence of Trigrams based around Yin/Yang centre
You may also be familiar with them on a Bagua:
However, these eight states of change are only a snapshot of the characteristic of the energy at that point. In between the Yin and the Yang elements are moving around each other, constantly expanding and contracting.
Look at the Bagua picture again. At the centre is the very familiar Yin/Yang symbol. The Yin and Yang are curled around each other, each with an element of the other inside them. This represents the dynamic, constant movement of energy. Being at the centre it also represent the Tai Chi because this is where the energy of your home or workplace is constantly moving to feed the entire space. So, keeping it clear, open and illuminated will ensure that the energy here can move and radiate out into all of your space just as our heart radiates it energy through the blood to our whole body.
Jackie Notman is a copywriter, feng shui consultant and e-commerce retailer. This article is from her blog ‘Life – and everything else’ where you’ll find an eclectic mix of articles and information.
This Feng Shui information is general for everybody. However, there are deeper levels of Feng Shui which take into account you and your specific business or home environment.
If you would like to find out more about living in harmony with your environment, and using energy to your advantage, contact Jackie Notman on 07920 461574 or through her website www.fs168.co.uk
WANT TO PUBLISH THIS ARTICLE?
You have permission to publish this article as long as the tagline (above) with links is included and no changes are made to the article. A courtesy copy of your publication or link would be appreciated.
Do you feel as if all the bad stuff just seems to head for your door?
Is everything coming in the mail bills or final demands?
Don’t you just feel that maybe it’s time you had a break?
These are some of the common reasons that I am asked to carry out a Feng Shui survey. Now, here’s a little trick. Next time you are out and making your way home I want you to imagine that you are a stranger to the area. As you turn into your street, whether driving, walking or cycling, just think what it would look like to a stranger. When you arrive at your house, what is the first thing a stranger would notice?
Is it easy to get through the gate? Or does it stick; need lifting out of the catch or pushing because it’s stuck? Does it squeal with indignation when you do open it?
If you have a garden at the front of your house is it weed free, bright and welcoming? Or litter strewn and unkempt?
Would a visitor have to step around bins or brush past overgrown shrubs to make their way to your door? Are there leaves on the path just waiting to get wet and trip up your visitors.
And what would your visitor see when they got to the front door? Clean, bright paintwork? Shiny, clear glass? A clean door mat? Or maybe peeling paintwork, a ‘Beware Dog’ sticker and the door knocker so dirty they would worry about touching it with their bare hands?
Would they be able to see the name or number of the house to check that they are in the right place? If not, would they be encouraged to knock anyway?
The same applies if you live in an apartment. Is your name there at the entrance so your visitor knows which bell to push?
Or if you’re a business. Does your website and literature show exactly how to find you? Do you have a sign outside your building and do visitors know exactly where reception is?
Would Lady Luck stop and knock or walk on by?
Stand outside your house, apartment or business and be honest with yourself. Would Lady Luck really want to visit someone who lives or works in a place like yours?
You see Lady Luck is otherwise known as energy. And if you want good energy flowing to you then make it easy. Make the energy want to come to you. Make it feel welcomed.
In Feng Shui consultations we look at classic form, or how the building fits into the landscape. We also look at compass school, or the orientation of the building, as well as building and people astrology, or the relationship between place and time, people and buildings.
However, when a Feng Shui consultant comes to visit, the simplest things need addressing before we get into the deeper layers.
So, if you feel that you’re getting a bad deal at the moment, go outside and try to see why Lady Luck might just be passing you by.
Jackie Notman is a copywriter, feng shui consultant and e-commerce retailer. This article is from her blog ‘Life – and everything else’ where you’ll find an eclectic mix of articles and information.
This Feng Shui information is general for everybody. However, there are deeper levels of Feng Shui which take into account you and your specific business or home environment.
If you would like to find out more about living in harmony with your environment, and using energy to your advantage, contact Jackie Notman on 07920 461574 or through her website www.fs168.co.uk
WANT TO PUBLISH THIS ARTICLE?
You have permission to publish this article as long as the tagline (above) with links is included and no changes are made to the article. A courtesy copy of your publication or link would be appreciated.
There is no such thing as a paperless office – well, I haven’t found one yet. Office workers produce an awful lot of ‘stuff’. Mainly paper but also old computer equipment, files, desk tidies, pen trays and that wobbly chair that’s kept in the corner.
Would you do business with a company who lives here?
It may seem like an inconsequential thing but clutter and disorganisation can have a number of negative effects on your business.
Firstly, piles of paper are a fire risk, especially if they are left close to electrical items. They are also a safety risk. If one of your employees trips over boxes, has to work in cramped conditions or needs to lift things out of the way to do their job, their physical health could suffer which not only means employee absence but possibly a claim against you for not providing a safe workplace.
Paper and files also collect lots of dust. Clutter doesn’t get moved so the cleaners can clean. Instead it sits there collecting dust. And with dust you get dust mites: little creatures that are a common trigger for asthma and allergies.
Now let’s think about your customers. Quite apart from the health and safety aspects already mentioned, clutter gives an impression of your business that you probably don’t want your customers to have. How old are the journals and magazines in your reception? Do they walk through a cluttered office to get to your meeting room? Do you have to clear a space so they can sit down? Your business goals, and the industry you’re in, will determine the type of image you want to portray. Whatever that is, clutter will never support your brand image.
Apart from turning off your customers or potential customers, clutter has other cost implications. Studies suggest that employees waste up to an hour a day looking for misplaced items or paperwork. That’s easy to qualify as a loss to your business. What is not so easy to calculate is the price of missed opportunities: perhaps losing the business card of a prospect that was really keen to meet with you or missing out on an important conference because the deadline came and went.
Studies also suggest that employees who work in cluttered spaces are more stressed, less efficient and, as a result, feel out of control. As a lack of control is another trigger for stress it becomes a perpetuating cycle.
Clutter also has an effect on an energetic level because it slows energy down and may cause it to stagnate. If your workplace needs a creative dynamic team, clutter will hinder them both physically and mentally.
Removing clutter is not just about tidying things up and putting it in cupboards. It’s about finding smarter ways of working, encouraging recycling and saving money.
So, have a good look round your office. If I was a potential customer and had just walked through your door what would be my impression of your company? Would you get my business?
Jackie Notman is a business and feng shui consultant. This article is from her blog ‘Life – and everything else’ where you’ll find an eclectic mix of articles and information.
Business Energetics is based on classic Feng Shui principles and brings together your environment and your people into one harmonised and focussed profit machine.
If you would like to find out more about how your business could benefit from living in harmony with your environment, and using energy to your advantage, contact Jackie Notman on 07920 461574 or through her website http://www.fs168.co.uk/businessenergetics
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You have permission to publish this article as long as the tagline (above) with links is included and no changes are made to the article. A courtesy copy of your publication or link would be appreciated.
I was flicking through the TV channels the other day and came across a re-run of ‘Supernanny’. For those of you who haven’t watched it a parenting expert called Jo Frost works with parents who have problems with their children such as bad behaviour, not sleeping, not eating etc.
She observes the family first of all to see how they interact with each other, discusses the causes of the problems with the parents and then comes up with an action plan. Of course putting the plan into action is never easy and there are many setbacks along the way but, at the end of the programme there are marked improvements and everyone’s a lot happier.
Supernanny Feng Shuis your kids
Anyway, that’s Supernanny in a nutshell and not the purpose of this article at all. The point of bringing Supernanny in at all is because she picked up on a very crucial Feng Shui point in this particular programme and I want to share it with you because it’s important and very easy to implement.
This particular family comprised of a Mum, Dad and four children all less than eight years of age. The kids were all boisterous and attempting to rule the roost. Mum’s idea of discipline was to shout a lot and Dad’s was to keep his head low. No criticism aimed at the family here as I would probably be a lot worse in their situation.
So, in Supernanny’s observation session she is looking around the house and the garden with the cameras following her. She turns to the camera and says (excuse my paraphrasing here but I didn’t write it down at the time): ‘In the house there are lots of little cubby holes and spaces full of junk and look at the garden (the camera pans round to show more stuff – broken bikes, old tables and even a shopping trolley). It’s full of half broken things or half mended. And that’s the problem with this family. It’s half broken.’
Jo Frost – not just Supernanny but Feng Shui Master too! Because, in a nutshell, our environment reflects our life and that is what Feng Shui is all about.
For this family, nothing was ever followed through or completed and there was a lot of useless stuff clogging up the energy.
Have a look around you now. Are you in your living room, your office, your bedroom? What does your environment say about you? If a stranger was to assess it right now what would they conclude?
Going back to TV programmes, there used to be one that visited the house of a celebrity and the panel had to guess from the clues which celebrity lived there. The programme was called ‘Through the Keyhole’ and the catchphrase of the presenter was ‘Who lives in a house like this?’
Is clutter holding you back
What would the panel think of your house? Is the garden tidy? Are the windows clean? Is the house full of junk and half mended things? Does the person living there care about their home? Does the person living there care about their life?
If your home doesn’t reflect you and the life you want to live then change it. You don’t need money to buy new stuff. Just follow my action plan below and you’ll be amazed at the changes you’ll see in your life.
- Start by clearing up mess and clutter. Nothing clogs up our life like piles of stuff. It attracts energy like it attracts dust and the energy becomes heavy and stagnant. Is that how you want your life to be like – heavy and stagnant?
- Mend any broken things or get rid of them altogether. If it’s been broken for a while then you obviously have no use for it but somebody else might for spares or repairs so advertise it as a giveaway or donate it to one of the many recycling charities.
- This next step may take some time so you might want to split it up and do it in room size bites or even bits of room size bites if you have a lot of stuff. Look at every item you have, every single thing, and decide if it’s useful or it makes you feel good.
If it doesn’t fulfil either of these requirements then get rid of it. If it’s something you don’t have a use for and you don’t like it why are you holding on to it? And the answer to that question is probably best kept for another day.
Jackie Notman is a copywriter, feng shui consultant and e-commerce retailer. This article is from her blog ‘Life – and everything else’ where you’ll find an eclectic mix of articles and information.
This Feng Shui information is general for everybody. However, there are deeper levels of Feng Shui which take into account you and your specific environment.
If you would like to find out more about living in harmony with your environment, and using energy to your advantage, contact Jackie Notman on 07920 461574 or through her website www.fs168.co.uk
WANT TO PUBLISH THIS ARTICLE?
You have permission to publish this article as long as the tagline (above) with links is included and no changes are made to the article. A courtesy copy of your publication or link would be appreciated.
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